Town Square

More Delicious Memories of Venice

Original post made
by Jacqui Love Marshall, San Ramon,
on Sep 28, 2011

==B Venice, Day 3: Shopping Day at Rialto Market==
Everyone who was able to be ready and downstairs by 8:00am made the long-awaited trek to the world-famous Rialto Market. Despite the rainy day, we took a short walk to the Vaporetto (waterbus) stop and a rider-packed waterbus ride to reach the Rialto. There are no fish vendors on Mondays (a second visit to see fish and seafood came later in the week) but there were plenty of fresh produce vendors, open butcher shops and a couple of popular freshly-made pasta and cheese shops. You wouldn't believe the lovely mounds of ricotta, mozzarella and other cheeses displayed pristinely in glass cases as if they were precious jewels. To the Venetians, they are. Since my hubby and I were the first dining-in cooks, we purchased the ingredients we needed for our menu and headed back home early to plan for our meal. We served ==B Ricotta, Fig and Honey Crostini== as our starter, ==B Tortellini with Broccoli, Peas and Pancetta== (Italian bacon) as our entrée, with fresh fruit and bakery-bought tortes as our dessert. The crostini and pasta recipes are below.

==B Venice, Day 4: Murano Island & Dining In==
When we asked our tour guide about the island of Murano and its renowned glass works, she arranged for us to get an invitation to the Cenedese glass factory, driven by boat by their own driver. We rose early to make the trip and spent a good chunk of the day there. It was amazing to watch the glassblowers do their art; our walk through their studio revealed how beautiful the results are. It was a great way to spend a very hot day, followed by a wonderful meal "at home" in our air conditioning. The assigned couple made pan-roasted fresh branzino fish for each of us, plus stuffed squash blossoms as a starter and chocolate covered cannolis (decadent!) for desserts.

==B Ricotta, Fig and Honey Crostini (serves 4-6)==
1 loaf of ciabatta or another peasant-style bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
1-1½ cups fresh ricotta cheese, room temperature
1 pint of figs, preferably the dark ones, cut into quarters
Honey
1. Cut bread into ½" thick crosswise slices and grill the bread over a gas grill or broiler. While bread is still warm, spread ricotta generously on toasted slices.
2. Place a fig quarter on top of each slice; drizzle each piece with honey and serve immediately.

==I Fall has arrived…==
Say hello to Indian summer…say goodbye to the final crops of summer fruits and vegetables. There's still a chance, however, to stock up on the bounty and store, cook, freeze and can your favorites. Here's a tip list on how to make the most of the last harvests:

==B Tips for Preserving Fruits & Vegetables:==
1. Dry peppers by hanging or oven drying; then crush and store in airtight jars.
2. Hang herbs in open, airy spaces to dry; transfer to airtight jars or freeze.
3. If you have a cool, dry cellar or basement, store extra root vegetables like beets, potatoes, carrots, onions, etc.
4. Quickly blanch and then freeze greens for use later; do the same with batches of fruits for pies.
5. Dehydrate fruits and vegetables by slowly drying them in a low temperature oven.
6. Use fresh ingredients to make soups, broths, sauces, pestos, etc.; freeze for augmenting or creating full-flavored winter meals.
7. Make quick jams and jellies without full canning processes and keep in fridge.
8. Go all the way in processing and canning fruits and vegetables for your pantry shelves.

Here are 2 quickie jam recipes, that don't require the full canning process.

Posted by franco
a resident of Vineyard Hills
on Sep 28, 2011 at 2:18 pmfranco is a registered user.

When have your memories occurred? Except for some rain on Sept. 19, the weather has been beautiful, sunny, and warm here in northeastern Italy.

Twice I've been to Venezia, and it is very wheelchair unfriendly (no one's fault, really, since the venetians weren't thinking of this many centuries ago when they built their city.) Therefore, no visit there with wife this trip.

Venezia is one of the most visited places in the world, and if you can do it, the trip is more than worth it. But do a little research about it ahead of time so you know what you are visiting and looking at.

Also be aware there are many other beautiful and interesting places in northeastern Italy, including the city of Trieste. On Saturday, the day we return, Barcolana begins (we will unfortunately miss it) and consists of week-long yacht races. Barche vele from all over come to this event. Tomorrow night we do dinner at Porto San Rocco, where a few of the SuperMaxi and Maxi yachts are berthed.